title: Combination treatment with comprehensive cryoablation and immunotherapy in metastatic hepatocellular cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively assess the effect of comprehensive cryosurgery (ablation of intra- and extra-hepatic tumors) plus dendritic cell-cytokine-induced killer cell immunotherapy in metastatic hepatocellular cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We divided 45 patients into cryo-immunotherapy (21 patients), cryotherapy (n = 12), immunotherapy (n = 5) and untreated (n = 7) groups. Overall survival (OS) after diagnosis of metastatic hepatocellular cancer was assessed after an 8-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median OS was higher following cryo-immunotherapy (32 mo) or cryotherapy (17.5 mo; P < 0.05) than in the untreated group (3 mo) and was higher in the cryo-immunotherapy group than in the cryotherapy group (P < 0.05). In the cryo-immunotherapy group, median OS was higher after multiple treatments (36.5 mo) than after a single treatment (21 mo; P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryotherapy and, especially, cryo-immunotherapy significantly increased OS in metastatic hepatocellular cancer patients. Multiple cryo-immunotherapy was associated with a better prognosis than single cryo-immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Department, Fuda Cancer Hospital, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou 510665, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-Zhi
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Jia-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Meng-Tian
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ji-Bing
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Ke-Cheng
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Cryoablation; Dendritic cell-cytokine-induced killer cell; Immunotherapy; Metastatic hepatocellular cancer; Survival time